Coal washery



June 30, 1942. G. L. ARMS X l COAL wAsHERY' Filed Feb. '7, 1959 f 4sheets-shei 1 /NVE/VTOR.' 1 GEORGE LARMS;

" Maf-771.71m,

June 30, 1942. G. L. ARMS com. wAsHERY Filed Feb. '7, 1939 4Sheets-Sheet 2 June 30, 1942.' G. L. ARMS COAL wAsHFM Filed Feb.` 7,'l1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 vif' /fyl/ENTOR GEORGE LARMS, BY 1 0L. 7n 7/)WJune 30, 1942; Q 4ARMSl 2,287,854

COAL wAsHEBY A Filed' Feb. 7, 1939 4 sheets-sheet 4 f/v VEN TOR.'

, GEORGE I -ARMs/ AZT'Y Patented June 30, 1942 ooAL WAsHEfRY George L.Arms, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company,acorporation l of yOhio Application l'february 7, 1939, Serial No.254,990

This invention relates to a complete self-contai'nedicoal washery.

An object of the invention is to provide a cornplete Vself-containedwashery unit which can be readily installed and which will eicientlyclean coal or other material.

A Yfurther object of the invention is -to provide a compact andextremely simple though entirely complete coal washing unit.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novelfeatures and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figs. 'l and 2 placed endto end comprise a side elevational View of theunit comprising my inveni tion;

Fig. 3 is a plan vievv of the unit; Fig. 4 is a front end elevationalview of the unit; and

Fig. 5 is asectional View taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Fig. Y1looking in the direction oi the arrows. Referring `to the accompanyingdrawings it will be seen that -I have provided a complete-seli-containedwashery particularly adapted for the vcleaning of coal, though its useis not so limited. This washery unit comprises a main frame Iii uponwhich is 'mounted a jig II which, in the illustration. is a singlecompartment jig though a multiple compartment jig may be employed ifdesired. The jig l! may be of any desired construction and lfor example,may follow the construction 'of the jig disclosed in Patent No.2,132,750 Vfor a Jig, to Ernst F. Muller, vdated October 11, 1938,though as above stated, the jig II is l a single 'compartment jig whilethe jig of the patent is a two compartment jig.

Brieiiy described, the jig Il comprises a base at lI 2 which is rigidlyattached to and forms a part of the main frame ii). Extending upwardlyfrom the base E2 are angle uprights I3 upon which is supported a tankiii. The tank llihas a receiving lip or chute I5 adapted to receive theraw coal to be cleaned. and a discharge chute I6 adapted to dischargethe clean coal with an appreciable amount of water.

As is disclosed in full detail in the above mentioned patent, within thetank i4 there is a reciprocating diaphragm which is mounted on the topof a piston rod Il which works in a balancing cylinder it! supplied withair under pressure to counterbalance at least in part the weight of theliquid on the diaphragm. The mentioned diaphragm is reciprocated toeffect a pulsating movement of the water through a screen 23 in tank I4to Yeffect a stratication of the raw coal With the refuse on the bottomand the clean coal on the top, the latter flowing from tank I4 by way ofchute I as the cleaned product. This recipro'catory'motion is providedby virtue of connecting rod means I Sadjustablymounted on Vrocking beam20 which is pivotally'attached to a bracket 2I carried by channel means22 which channel means 22 also support the cylinder I8. The rocking beam2i) is provided with a roller 23 adapted to roll between parallelsurfaces of a double acting cam Zliwhich is rotated'by a driving motor25.

The jig I-'I is also provided with an automatically operable refusecontrol mechanism including float operating mechanism 26 which controlsrefuse ejecting mechanism 2l to maintain Ythe refusel on the screen `28at a predetermined depth, as disclosed in full detail in the abovementioned patent. The jig I'I also includes a refuse elevator 29 whichis operative to remove the refuse discharged by the mechanism 21 intothe boot of said elevator 29. Elevator 29 also includes ,a separatedrive means including electric motor 3i) land appropriate speed reducingdrive mechanism `3l.

Also mounted on the main frame lil by angle uprights 32 which form apart of said main frame It is a dewatering screen 33 which slopesdownwardly in a forward direction and which is provided with a receivingchute 34 adapted to receive the clean coal and water from the dischargechute l5 of the jig I I. The dewatering screen 33 is provided with aperforated bottom plate or screen cloth 35 of relatively ne mesh to theend that the water which is received by the dewatering screen Y33 mayfreely pass through the openings in saidrplate 35 while substantiallyall of the coal is discharged over the discharge chute .'55 at the lowerend of'said dewatering screen 33.

The dewatering screen 33 is mounted for reciproeation on pairs offorward and rearward arms 3l' and 3S, respectively, and is reciprocatedby an eccentric mechanism 39 driven by an electric motor 48. Y A

Positioned below the ,dewatering' screen 33 and between the uprights 32is a Water classifying, settling or sludge tank 4I.

Adjacent the lefthand end of the sludge tank @I there is formed a cleanWater or pump `snmp 42 which is formed by a transversely extendingbailie plate 43. Extending` longitudinally forwardly from thebaiileplate 43 is a plurality of skimming or d'ecanting iiumes ortroughs 44, each closed at slope downwardly to the openings 43 and eachupper edge of each trough presents a relatively long effectivehorizontal Weir over which the water in the tank 4I flows in deliveringthe clarified water through said openings 43' to the sump 42. The closedends of the troughs are supported by the cross-piece 44' (Fig. 2)between the walls of the tank 4 I. This decanting mechanism has a verydesirable feature in that the water velocities in the tank 4I, due tothe fiow into fiumes or troughs 44, are very low, thus allowing forready settling in the tank 4I of any fine material which comes throughthe perforated bottom plate 35 with the water.

This decanted or clarified water is used continuously for the operationof the jig I I by being recirculated by pump 45 provided with inlet pipe46 which leads to the bottom of the sump 42 and feed pipe 4'I whichleads to the tank I4 of the jig II and is controlled by hand operatedvalve 48. It may be stated that the pump 45 is driven by an electricmotor 49.

To guide the water and any small particles of coal which may find theirway through perforate bottom plate 35 into the tank 4I, preferably at aposition to the right of the flumes or troughs 44, I provide astationary hopper 5I! which is rigidly attached to the uprights 32 andwhich is positioned below the entire perforated portion of the bottomplate 35 and delivers the liquid and contained small particles of coalthrough an opening 5I near the head end of the tank 4I, as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The function of the settling tank 4I, of course, is to allow the smallparticles of coal received thereby to settle out while decanting theliquid from said tank 4I, as above described, thereby clarifying thewater for recirculation through the jig II. It is, of course, necessaryto remove the settled sludge from the tank 4I which is formed by thesettling of the small particles of coal or other material and to thisend the forward wall 52 of the tank 4I slopes, as is clearly illustratedin Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Within said tank 4I I provide a scraper conveyor 53 which travels oversubstantially the entire bottom of the tank 4I and conveys the materialup the inclined or sloping wall 52, discharging it over a discharge lip54. Scraper conveyor 53 is provided with an appropriate electric drivingmotor 55 and speed reducing driving mechanism 56.

It is evident that I have provided a very compact and completelyself-contained washery particularly adapted to wash coal and separatethe pure coal from the refuse such as pyrite, shale and bony coal. Theunitary construction, particularly with the compact arrangement of theprincipal units makes for a minimum of over-all space and a minimum ofcomplication of the washing unit.

In the operation of the unit raw coal to be treated and cleaned is fedto the jig I I by way of lip or feed chute I5. The repeated upward anddownward movement of the Water in the jig I I is effective to stratifythe raw coal with refuse in the bottom stratum and coal in the topstratum. The automatic float operating mechanism 26 continuouslydetermines the depth of the refuse stratum and accordingly controls therefuse ejecting mechanism 21 to maintain this stratum of refuse at apredetermined depth within relatively narrow limits. 'I'he cleaned coalor upper stratum, along with flowing water, flows from the jig II by wayof discharge chute I5 and is received by the dewatering screen 33 by wayof receiving chute 34. The discharged refuse is carried away to anydesired point by the refuse elevator 29.

The clean coal and water, upon being received by the dewatering screen33, which continuously vibrates, is separated with the water passingdownwardly through the perforate bottom plate 35 of said screen 33, andthe coal substantially free of water is discharged over the dischargechute 36 into any desired receptacle, conveyor, hopper, or merely in apile. The water in passing through the perforate bottom plate 35 willinevitably carry with it some fine particles of coal which, with thewater, are guided by the hopper 50 and discharged near the forward endof the settling or sludge tank 4 I.

Within said settling or sludge tank 4I the coal particles will settle tothe bottom, the skimming or decanting troughs or flumes 44 receiving theclarified water and delivering it to the clean Water or pump sump 42.The pump 45 operates to recirculate the cleaned water by delivering itfrom sump 42 to the tank I4 of the jig II. The settled sludge in thetank 4I is removed by the conveyor 53 which may be operated eithercontinuously or preferably periodically to scrape the sludge therefromand discharge it over the discharge lip 54 into any desired receptacle,conveyor or hopper.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in thedetails and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended, and Itherefore wish not to be restricted to the precise construction hereindisclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodi- 'ment of my invention, what Idesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Coal washing apparatus comprising a unitary main frame, a gravityseparator xed to said main frame at one end thereof, a settling tankfixed to the opposite end of said main frame, a dewatering screensupported by the side walls of said settling tank, a chute connectingsaid separator and screen for delivering the overflow from saidseparator to said screen, means for delivering the liquid passingthrough said screen to the end of said settling tank opposite saidseparator and a conveyor mechanism in said settling tank for collectingand dewatering the settleable solids contained in said liquid. the coalpassing over said screen and the solids removed from said settling tankbeing delivered at the saine end of said frame and in juxtaposedposition.

2. Coal washing apparatus comprising a unitary main frame, a liquidgravity separator fixed to said main frame at one end thereof, asettling tank fixed to said frame at the opposite end thereof from saidseparator, a dewatering screen carried by said settling tank in a planeabove said tank, means to deliver washed coal and the overflow liquid tosaid screen, means to deliver the drained liquid into said settling tankat the end thereof opposite said separator, means to deliver theclarified eluent from said settling tank into a clear well adjacent saidseparator and means to collect and dewater the solids settled from saidliquid in said settling tank and deliver them at a point juxtaposed tothe end of said screen.

3. Coal washing apparatus comprising a unitary main frame, a jig fixedto said main frame at one end thereof, a settling tank fixed to saidmain frame at the other end of said main frame, a dewatering screenpositioned above said settling tank and supported thereby, means on saidjig to pass the overflow including the cleaned coal onto said screen,means carried by Ysaid frame to vibrate said screen, means below saidscreen and above said settling tank to collect the liquid passing saidscreen and deliver it to one end of said tank, means in said tank toeolleet and dewater the settleable solids contained in said liquid anddeliver them to a position juxtaposed to the coal delivery end of saidscreen and means carried by said main frame to recirculate the clarifiedliquid from said settling tank.

GEO. L. ARMS.

